Yeah…right

So it seems the US Postal Servicewants to increase our rates again for first class mail. Rates went up in January of this year and they are already asking for another increase of $.03 to $.42 for first class mail. The twist this time is they also want to introduce a “Forever Stamp”. The stamp would be a first class stamp that would be good forever, no matter what future rate increases there might be. They say that this rate increase is to fight off the increasing gasoline costs. Due to increased fuel prices, they are saying the postal system will be $2 Billion in the red at the end of the year.

Excuse me? I’m sorry, but as someone who uses the post office daily for sending and receiving thousands of packages annually, I know how full of bull this whole thing is. Let’s take today for instance. I had to go in to the office to send out a last minute package to a friend. It was prepaid via Stamps.com, but due to the weight had to be handed to a clerk. So I wal in to the post office and one employee is walking by from having emptied the stamp machine. I enter the lobby and see no one is working he counter, the employee with the cash walks by through the back, looks at the sveral of us waiting, and walks on. We then all stand there without a clerk for a good 4 minutes before anyone noticed they had a lobby full of people. Glad to see all the money is going for such crack service.

Now, the “Forever” stamp bugs me because it is a form of scam in my opinion. First of all, they want you to buy tons of them because someday they will be a “bargin”. Well, that means the post office gets to live off your money for days, weeks, months or even years instead of you letting the money work for you in investments. They are also counting on you losing the stamps if you buy them for future use. And what does this also say about what first class truly costs? Let’s say first class get’s to $.50 or more, they will still be carrying your mail for the $.42 you paid for it. Why would they do that unless it was 100% in their favor? If they can project doing that, doesn’t that mean first class pricing is a bit of a joke?

They wonder why people are using email more and more? Why would anyone pay for sending a letter when you can send emails for free? What about IM? Skype? They can raise the price all they want, all it will do is drive more and more people to other forms of communication.